


when bad fortune brought forth a good one .*• minsung one-shot

by 4419blues



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Acrophobia, Alternate Universe, Anxiety, Concerts, Dancer Lee Minho | Lee Know, Dancing, First Dates, First Kiss, First Meetings, Fluff, Han Jisung | Han is Whipped, Lee Minho | Lee Know is Whipped, Lee Minho | Lee Know is a Sweetheart, M/M, Mentioned Bang Chan, Mentioned Hwang Hyunjin, Mentioned Lee Felix (Stray Kids), Mentioned Seo Changbin, Music, not really kiss but kinda
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-05
Updated: 2019-04-05
Packaged: 2020-01-05 09:15:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18363035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/4419blues/pseuds/4419blues
Summary: a band named "nothing but thieves" held a free mini concert when they decided to drop by korea for a breakhowever, it's on a rooftop of a 9-storey building, minho is afraid of heights, and someone who feels anxious when alone in a crowd, jisung, noticed it





	when bad fortune brought forth a good one .*• minsung one-shot

**Author's Note:**

> there will be songs mentioned in the story. for a better experience (oop, this sounds like something ad agents would say), listen to the songs but ofc it's still up to u :)
> 
> 1\. amsterdam  
> 2\. lover, please stay  
> 3\. forever and ever more
> 
> @ those who plan on doing so: as u go along the fic, i will mention the part where u should listen to the songs

minho is a sucker for music. coming from a family with a musical background – a soprano mother who used to be one of the most favored choral member and competed both for her high school and college and a father who was as a professional guitarist in a fairly-known local band in the 80s until they disbanded–, it's normal for minho to pick up his loving for music like his parents. however, it's more that he fell in love with the idea of his body making friends with the beat. he loves music but he doesn't sing nor play instruments, at least for the public since he actually is good with both. instead, he dances to the rhythm, and he's a prodigy. he, together with his group, once represented korea in a dance contest open for countries across the globe. minho can clearly remember how nerve-wracking it was despite him perfecting every step with passion as intense as his adrenaline. technically, placing second is not a bad thing if you're competing with 43 other international groups, but minho's perfectionist side can't help feeling a bit upset.

 

jisung lives through music. to him, every note is a breathe of oxygen and every word is a vital part to a story being sewn together by a tune. out of everyone, he must know it since he makes them, both as a hobby and out of high hopes of being more understood. he, together with his friends, chan and changbin which are both hyungs to him, comprise the underground rap trio called 3racha. unlike minho, his parents are not exactly supportive of his love for music, but not to the point that they have to dismember him to just stop doing so since he still manages to have decent grades. jisung decided to just settle to their indifference and continue pursuing what he knows he does best. one thing about jisung is that he doesn't limit himself to a single genre. he thinks that hearing different kinds of music with thousands of stories to share,  no matter how tragic nor cheesy they may be, is one way of learning. he believes that music doesn't just ease other people's pain; music saves others from it by getting the important messages across.

 

and that's why, when they both heard the news that their favorite band will be having a free concert on a rooftop in a building quite near to their own places, they swore to themselves not to miss the chance.

 

however, there's a problem lingering both at the back of their heads.

 

minho fears heights more than anything.

 

jisung gets anxious being alone in a crowded place.

 

.*•

 

when minho read the details of the venue tweeted through **@NBThieves** , he shivered. he is obviously more than fine with the idea of how close the building is to his apartment— a good 8-minute walk. he walks more than that to get to his university. he also sometimes passes by it on his way home every tuesday after his shift at a streetwear shop when his usual route on his way home is crowded with bikes and people of different ages who unceasingly line up for the discounted pastries until before 4 pm. he's also in need of a break after the overwhelming wave of paperworks but is basically running low on money since he just paid the rent. it being free is already in his favor. 

almost all signs point to one thing- he should go to the concert.

everything seemed perfect. almost, except for one thing— it's on a 9-storey building's rooftop.

minho doesn't exactly remember when he became acrophobic. he can still remember the time when he was 5 years old and enjoying the length and thrill of a hanging bridge despite the 800-meter drop below it. it doesn't make sense to him that he developed the fear when he became older. however, he knows better than to ponder hard on the answers for his "why's" and "how's" so he left it at that.

free concert of his favorite band in his city is like a too-good-to-be-true scenario, but them doing it on a high ass building's rooftop can be a game-changer for his shaking knees and racing heartbeat.

usually, when he needs to go to places and they're somehow high, his fingers immediately dial a familiar set of numbers, specifically hyunjin's. also usually, hyunjin would immediately pick up and willingly accompany him. unfortunately, he ran out of luck for the hour and he had sensed it the second he heard hyunjin's timid and hoarse "hello". hyunjin used what energy he still has left to tell minho that flu took over his system. with that, minho bid his goodbye, promised to come over the next day, wished him to feel better and sulked.  _shit, i'm screwed,_ he thought.

however, minho still found himself changing into a shirt, putting on black jeans, slipping on his shoes, and slinging his denim jacket on one of his arms as he locked the door of his apartment.

 

.*•

 

as for jisung, his friend chan, who just finished exhausting words from his brain for a new track they're working on, saw the tweet first when he was scrolling on his timeline. he quickly yelled at jisung when he saw it. chan likes  **nothing but thieves** as well, all thanks to jisung, though. as soon as jisung kicked his swivel chair to where chan is in their studio, (which is handed down by changbin's father who was a producer, too), chan whipped out his phone, put the brightness up to 100% and shoved it to jisung's face, enough for chan's hands to be swatted away. the words "free" and "nothing but thieves" burned his eyes, in a good  _fucking_  way. jisung let out a string of curse as he averted his eyes on the wall clock in front of him.  _the show starts at 10:30 pm and it's already 9:00._

 

"chan hyung, oh my god. you have to go with me."

 

chan rolled his eyes and muttered a "duh". "of course. i like them too, dumbass."

 

with that, the both of them agreed to call it a day. changbin got invited by the  _now restless_  friends of him, but he chose to stay in the studio since he's not particularly familiar with the band nor into their genre. he also reasoned out that working alone might help him right now since there would be no "annoyingly loud creatures" to disrupt his thoughts.

 

"okay, bland hag. your loss."

 

chan and jisung devised a plan. first, they would go home to change clothes. second, they would meet at the bus stop at 9:45 pm in front of the convenience store beside the studio, and go together to the venue which is 25 minutes away. they both waved goodbye to changbin as they stepped out in the chilling october air. more than anything and anyone, jisung is undoubtedly excited. the drop in the temperature is not one of his worries.

however, a few minutes before they were supposed to meet up, 9:32 pm to be exact, chan called, sniffling.

 

"m-my dog, berry, coughed up blood."

 

jisung almost dropped his specs, which he was cleaning at that time, at the news. "chan, oh my god, please tell me you are bringing him to the vet. do you need me there? i can walk to your house now."

 

chan, although obviously in distress, still ushered jisung to go. "don't miss a free nothing but thieves concert."

 

jisung being jisung, he protested. but chan being chan, he still forced him to go and commented on how stubborn he is while crying. jisung sighed and wore his grey hoodie on top of his white shirt. jisung promised chan that he will go to his house, or to the vet if he will still be there, once the concert is over. chan just muttered an "alright" and wished jisung to have a good time and to not think about him and his dog too much. jisung sighed in return. he is nervous in more reasons than one. although chan has already said not to worry, he can't help thinking whether the 11-month old dog would be fine (although, of course he wishes that she will be). another reason, unfortunately, is that he doesn't like the idea of being alone in a sea of people. that thought alone made jisung internally panic. still, as he let out a deep, yet shaky, breath, he stepped out of his house and headed to the stop where he is to board a bus.

good thing for him, the bus stop is right in front of the building so he didn't have to walk far. the streets weren't too congested either so the travel time was somewhat fast. he fixed his hoodie on top of his head as he alighted the bus. a new wave of feeling washed over him– a combination of overwhelming excitement and the fear of being probably squished by the crowd and having no one to hold on to. he brought out a tiny sheet of bubble wrap and popped the bubbles on his way up. 

 

.*•

 

minho made it to the building quite early, but going up the stairs is hell for him. the steps are unnecessarily big and wide and minho doesn't like it because that means he needs to make his strides larger, too. the time he's already at the 5th floor is when he internally whined at how he still has to go up four more flights.  _why is this building's elevator fucking closed?_  he realized, though, that it's maybe because it will be exclusive for the staffs of the artist who will bring the equipment needed.

the show is about to start in a few minutes so minho panicked, but still not enough for him to make another step. on top of him having hands sweating out of fear that he can't properly hold the railings tightly, people who are also going upstairs are looking at him weirdly. minho just looked down. 

as he tried to take another step, he heard someone talk in the mic. minho raised his head up and let a number of curse words slip out of his mouth.  _what now–_

"uh, are you okay?" a voice startled minho. amidst the few people running past them and effortlessly climbing up the stairs, a guy with dark blue hair, spoke up. "do you need help in something?"

 

before minho can stop himself, he yelled a "yes". 

 

"i know this is weird because you don't know me and i don't know you and the show is starting and my hands are sweaty as i'm scared of heights but i love them so can you please hold my hand?" the sentence, if it's even called one, caught the guy off-guard. minho mentally cursed and was about to apologize when he answered.

 

"it's okay. sure."

 

minho felt like collapsing then and there. he thanked the guy as he took his hand right after he slipped his bubble wrap sheet inside his hoodie pocket. the walk up the remaining flights of stairs was silent, if not for the one time the guy accidentally screeched when he heard someone talk on the mic again. the show was about to start. as much as minho wants the guy to quicken the pace so the stranger won't miss the start of the show because of him, he's a scaredy cat who has selfish needs _._

when they reached the rooftop, minho quickly let go of his hand and apologized at how sweaty it was. 

 

"oh god, finally upstairs. thank you so much, really, um–"

 

"jisung", the guy, jisung, completed as he smiled shyly. "it's jisung, and oh, don't you mind it. i have a friend like that, too."

 

minho's ear reddened. as much as he hates to admit it, the whole thing is embarrassing. he's taller (by only just a few inches) than jisung yet he's such a coward. although he said that he's used to it, it's still embarrassing.

minho, now wearing his denim jacket, bowed and smiled, feeling relieved. "guess, i'll see you around then, jisung. i hope you enjoy the show!"

 

jisung, on the other hand, felt his fear envelope his being again when he saw how the thick the crowd is. he still returned a smile anyway. "yes, i'll see you around. enjoy the show, too."

 

much to jisung's dismay, he knows that fear and anxiety can really get the best of an individual and so, before the guy can fully walk towards the stage, he called him out. "h-hey. um, denim-jacket guy."

 

denim-jacket guy turned around and giggled at the nickname. if there's one thing jisung would take note of for tonight, it will be the way his laugh made him smile a little despite feeling anxious. "it's minho, for you."

 

this time, it's jisung's face's turn to heat up. minho walked towards him and waited for jisung to speak. at the back of jisung's mind, he'll probably regret it later but if this is the only way to ease himself right now, he figured he'll take the shot. "c-can you, uh..." jisung looked down on his sneakers to hide his pinkish cheeks. "can i go with you? my friend can't go and b-being alone in a crowd makes me feel nauseated."

 

minho's lips formed an "o" but quickly changed to a small smile. "of course. you didn't need to ask anyway. think of this as my way of thanking you, so please look up now and don't be shy. besides, i have no one with me, too."

 

jisung blinked, only then noticing that his eyes are now glossy with tears. he looked to his side to wipe his tears as discreet as possible. if minho noticed that he did it, he didn't comment anything. 

 

"let's go?"

 

jisung nodded and it's the only thing minho needed to pull jisung to his side and run with him towards the spot nearest to the stage. them being an expert in squeezing their way through a crowd (although in jisung's case, he needs someone to do it with him) can be attributed to the number of times they've been to a concert. luckily, they made it to the spot, just a couple of rows before the stage. it's a pretty decent distance.

a few minutes later, the lights on the stage started to dim. roars emanated from the audience and the both of them found themselves screaming along, too. conor mason, the vocalist, greeted the crowd as the lights finally brightened and then started the set. 

the night was beautiful. the god of luck and weather is on their side. the crowd is energetic, fueled by the band feeling the atmosphere so well. people are throwing around balloons of various shapes and sizes (although there was a couple of aired condoms camouflaging with the balloons as well). a few bottles of vodka are also being kicked to the side (and minho would've stumbled at one if he wasn't able to steady himself by holding jisung's shoulder) as some people decided it was smart to get drunk on a moshpit.

 

 

** *listen to amsterdam - nothing but thieves* **

 

 

when the familiar rage-inducing riffs of amsterdam started playing, the chaos in the moshpit worsened by tenfold. people are throwing their heads in both an amusing and concerning way, like a zombie in a movie would, while some are dancing hysterically. if without context you see what's happening, you might think you're watching a zombie apocalypse hatching. just a few meters beside the two, there are a group of people shedding off their jackets only to throw them into the chilly air afterwards, not minding the consequences. jisung was laughing while observing the crowd surrounding him when minho yanked his arm.

 

"what the hell are you–"

 

"jisung, let's dance!"

 

"let's what? no–"

 

before minho hears the complete set of complaints from the blue-haired boy in front of him, he held both of jisung's wrists and moved them from every direction possible while jumping up and down. jisung, although clearly not amused at first, started smiling as he saw how happy minho looks with his eyes closed while mouthing the lyrics. to give him a dose of his own medicine, he held minho's wrist in return, and swayed him from side to side. minho's eyes widened at the action, more than enough for him to see the satisfaction in jisung's eyes. he smiled at the sight and continued the semi-violent "tug-of-war" happening between them. 

aside from the vocalist's voice and the sound of the instruments blaring from the gigantic speakers situated both at the ends of the stage, laughter and lyrics being screamed along to the tune can be heard in the venue.

the song carried on for almost 5 minutes until it halted to a stop. everyone, including jisung and minho, was trying to catch their breaths. jisung looked at the guy in front of him and slapped his arms. "why did you have to do that?"

 

"shut up, you had fun." minho retorted and slapped jisung back with much more strength (due to remnants of  adrenaline from a few minutes ago) while laughing. he wiped the sweat dripping on his forehead with the sleeves of his denim jacket. jisung furrowed his eyebrows while laughing.

 

"alright, you guys are wild!", conor screamed at the mic. the crowd yelled in different variations, but in unison. "for the next song, we'll have to take a deep breath and calm down a bit." he looked to the band's korean translator for the message to be translated. "so for now, you'll have to chill and listen as we play this song."

 

 

** *listen to lover, please stay - nothing but thieves* **

 

 

when the crowd was already somewhat in the state of relaxation, the band started playing one of their old, but classic, songs. "this is called "lover, please stay".

 

jisung's eyes widened as he bit his bottom lip. if there's one song that he likes but didn't expect to be played, it is this. 

 

_"lover, i know you're weary. eyes are tired for the night."_

 

minho, who was facing the band, averted his gaze to jisung. "y-you... you have a nice voice."

 

jisung elbowed minho's side as he rolled his eyes while with a smug grin . "of course, i do." 

 

silence fell between the two. for the first time that night, after they have washed away the awkwardness trying to engulf them, they fell silent. 

and also, for the first time that night, minho was able to look at jisung's soft features. he noticed how sparkly his brown eyes are, with a number of long lashes framing them. if it's because a band that he likes is performing in front of him and he feels happy or the lights that are way too bright in minho's opinion that's causing the adorable sparkle in jisung's eyes, he doesn't know. what he is sure of, however, is that the faint light by the moon is incomparable to the glow emitted by the blue-haired beauty.

 

_"but lover, please stay with me."_

jisung mouthed the words, along with probably a hundred few more near them. as if it's a coincidence, jisung turned to minho's side and laughed.  _what was that for,_ minho thought. jisung then scanned the crowd. his eyes found a pair a few rows behind them, holding each other close with their eyes closed while rocking side to side in time with the beat. jisung, a sucker for those kind of things, wasn't able to hold back a large smile.

minho saw the two, too when he followed jisung's eyes. if he felt jealous, he didn't admit anything. but oh dear, the smile that was on jisung's face made him smile, too, especially when he noticed that his mouth forms a cute, wide heart. if felix is here, he definitely compare jisung to a shounen character.

 

_"and i don't want to be alone._

_if i'm tonight, i will always be."_

 

and that was when minho had been reminded of how temporary the night is. he's scared that as the moon falls down ever so slightly as minutes pass by, he'll start learning how to fall for the person beside him. once it disappears, the face he had known for the night might also will. after all, all the knows about him is his name, his fear of being alone in the crowd, and the perfection he holds. it is so quick, and he's aware. if this is not the best thing to feel, he knows. but can he help it if being with jisung makes him feel a different kind of comfort and unfamiliar type of happiness? he doesn't know if he's just being weirdly emotional tonight but he knows he's in deep trouble. fuck him, he doesn't even know if he swings this way.

with them being squished together by the crowd, it was easy for jisung to feel minho tense up. he looked to his side and noticed how preoccupied the other is. 

 

"what's wrong?"  _jisung, i don't know. i guess my feelings._  "are you feeling cold or something?" 

 

minho just smiled and shook his head. although his mind is being swarmed by hundreds of "what ifs" and questions wanting to be answered, he tried to keep it all inside. "i'm fine."

 

jisung knew better than to believe him, but he didn't push furthermore. instead, he held onto minho's left arm and drew circles on it using his right thumb. minho wanted to hug him (and be hugged by him) right then and there. he wanted to enclose jisung's body in his arms and provide him extra warmth against the biting breeze of october. but doing it to someone he barely knows and just met tonight is weird. he maybe, just maybe, wants to kiss his tiny nose, too, but he doesn't want to admit it that much.

because of that, when the words "i can feel you slipping through my hands" left the mouth of the vocalist, minho, as if defying the lyrics being sung, held onto jisung's cold and small,  _but soft,_  right hand tightly. he closed his eyes while swaying to the beat. he doesn't know what the other would think of him at that moment, but he pushed the thought down his throat and just promised to himself that he will deal with the aftermath later.

on the other hand, jisung's eyes, which were originally closed, shot open when he felt the strong but equally delicate grip. he looked down on his side and saw how minho's hand is warming his. a shade of red made itself feel at home across his cheeks. since minho's eyes are still closed, he took this opportunity to admire the beauty he possesses. even though jisung didn't want to fully admit it, one of the reasons he approached him on the stairs is that he finds him cute aside from the fact that he also looked too distressed for someone who's going to attend a free nothing but thieves concert. however, it's scaring him that the more he admires him, the more the latter reason becomes an excuse. he likes how minho looks peaceful right now, compared to when they first saw each other or to when he felt tensed a minute ago. his features are more at ease, like a sculpture with round and soft edges. he also likes how his small (and pinkish) lips were mouthing the words. jisung wanted to cry, but instead, he just framed his fingers on minho's left hand. at first, he told himself that the gesture is just a reassurance for the other that what he's doing is okay, but it took him less than a minute to realize that he's lying to himself again.

_"please stay with me._

_oh, lover, please stay with me."_

when the song ended, neither dropped the other's hand but neither is feeling uncomfortable with it either. this time, though, minho's eyes are already open and are staring directly at jisung's. a soft laugh escaped from his lips. "why are your hands sweaty?"

 

"oh shit." jisung immediately yanked his hand away as his face heated up for god knows how many times tonight.  _well that was embarrassing._

minho threw a fit of laughter at how flustered jisung is. "oh you, i wish you could see how alarmed you looked like."

 

"shut up. you talk like as if your hand wasn't sweaty when i held onto it on our way up this damn rooftop." jisung retorted while drying his palm on the side of his hoodie.

 

minho raised his eyebrows with a teasing smile on his face. "well, thank you, again. it was a fun night." he didn't know where he got the confidence all of the sudden but he grabbed jisung's hand once again. the rational side of his brain is already telling him how stupid he is but the thought of holding the other's delicate hand won over it. he, perhaps, missed it even though it hasn't been a good minute since they last held hands.

 

"thank you, too." it was all jisung replied while smiling, the one where his lips forms a heart. a smile broke off minho's face as well as he reciprocated the action.

 

"for our last song," conor started off after what felt like a long time. "i want everyone to jump along with the beat, and with us. except for our dear drummer here, of course." the translator translated the speech again to the crowd. jisung, did as well, but to minho only and while the translator is doing the same thing. minho was surprised and at the same time puzzled.

 

"what more can't you do, jisung? how do you know english?"

 

jisung leaned his face closer to the other to taunt him. "praise me once again and i'll tell you how."

 

"no thanks. i'll just rely on their translator."

 

"rude. a compliment won't hurt, ugly."

 

"you say that as if you weren't staring at me." minho muttered, but more to himself.

 

despite the deafening sound of people yelling again, jisung's hearing is still in condition enough to hear minho's mumble. he choked on air. "what?!"

 

"nothing. but just for the sake of it, okay you're cute. now tell me what's the deal." 

 

jisung, for the nth time, rolled his eyes but answered anyway. "well, i used to study in malaysia so of course i had to have ways to communicate, no?"

 

"then why didn't you just use mala-"

 

 

 

** *listen to forever and ever more - nothing but thieves* **

 

 

 

before minho could ask another question, forever and ever more, one of the band's latest releases, started playing. 

 

"hell yeah!" jisung yelled at the top of his lungs and jumped, hitting minho's jaw with his shoulder in the process.

 

"jisung!"

 

jisung, seeing no blood is dripping, giggled and said "sorry" in a teasingly manner. minho, being probably whipped with the other already, just smiled and jumped along, but not after punching his arm. the surprised look on jisung's face garnered an ear-piercing laugh from minho. not that jisung hates it, though.

everyone is hyped again. the crowd which was once peaceful suddenly became loud. everyone is jumping as if they're shaking away all of the worries and stress burdening their bodies.

by the time it reached the chorus, it's safe to say that the screams of the crowd are reverberating across the city.

 

_"what did you think when you made me this way?_

_what did you think when you love me this way?_

_hold me so close when we get to the gates_

_and we'll be together forever and ever more."_

just like the shift of tone and in the cacophany of notes, things took a turn for the two. pairs of hands that were once exposed to the unforgiving chilly temperature are now  placed on each other— jisung's on minho's arms and minho's on jisung's shoulders. smiles that were once as big and as bright as the crescent looming above their heads are now much softer and inviting as the glimmer from the stars that the current night sky could offer. without a second thought, or at least before he ends up having one, minho's lips touched the other's cheek, lightly touching the corner of jisung's lips. the kiss was chaste but sweet. fast but careful. innocent and pure like the darling buds of may. minho's cushion-like lips didn't even fully touch jisung's but it was enough to irregularize the pulse of the younger boy, who know has his hoodie pulled up to hide the corners of his mouth making friends with his cheeks. minho looked down timidly. "i'm sorry. your cheeks are so cute that they're hurting me physically and emotionally."

 

jisung's eyes widened but not a single complaint left his mouth. he couldn't comprehend what he is feeling but he knows he doesn't dislike it. he looked down on his feet and banged his head against minho's chest, trying to hide his flustered cheeks. "you're so annoying. why do you talk like you're from stan twitter?"

 

minho wasn't able to stop his laughter. jisung's whiny voice made everything funnier. "oh, you think i'm not from stan twitter? at least i didn't say i wanna vore-"

 

"what the fu- okay, enough you weirdo. you think i don't have a feeling that you do, huh? i just needed a confirmation." this time, jisung is looking at minho with eyebrows furrowed, although his head is still on his chest. 

 

being a couple of inches taller (and wearing insoles) definitely is a good thing for minho at the moment. he rested his chin on top of jisung's head. "you act as if you won't complete the mutual with me if ever. who's your bias?"

 

"oh my god, shut it."

 

the voice of the vocalist and the chants of the hyperactive sea of people became the background noise of their continuous banter. before they know it, they song has already ended. after the countless "thank you"s of the band, people started head towards the exit while some stayed to take pictures. the pair did the latter.

 

"um, can we please not rush towards the entrance yet? i don't like cramming myself into a tiny space." jisung, who is already yawning, tugged at minho's sleeves to stop him from walking.

 

"right. i don't wanna fall off the stairs and die, too. let's just take a picture!" a grin is spread across his face as he searched his pockets for his phone. when he finally found it, he called for jisung's attention. "move closer, sungie"

 

jisung laughed at the sudden nickname. although he think it's cute (and he's cute), he can't help being surprised. 

 

"really? snow? and why that ugly filter?" for the context, minho chose the fragments filter, the one with many triangular frames resembling a broken glass.

 

"i can't believe we just met tonight and you're already questioning my choice of snow filter."

 

 "well, yeah but at least i wasn't the one who kissed someone they barely know tonight." jisung side-eyed minho with so much confidence he didn't have earlier. truth be told, he's feeling more comfortable with him so it's possibly the reason why he now talks more freely. 

 

"just take pictures with me, damn it."

 

for the next 7 minutes, the two of them took selfies using numerous snow filters they impulsively downloaded– from the cute ones like the variations of cat, hearts, and sparkly filters to the weird ones like the face swap. they didn't noticed that only a small number of people are still on the rooftop until a staff tapped minho's shoulder.

 

"aren't you guys gonna go down yet? we're locking up in a minute."

 

.*•

 

surprisingly, aside from minho's occasional gasps, they were silent on their way down though neither seemed to mind. it was less uneventful than expected (jisung's right hand was just holding minho's left hand tightly but somewhat carefully), like a falling action of the story leading towards the denouement.

 

when they reached the last step, jisung let out a sigh. regarding their hands, no one let go. "the way down made me feel hungry. let's go somewhere."

 

the first place they found with foods of different kinds is a convenient store, which is just a minute away from the venue. lucky for them, there are still at least four seat available: two adjacent seats near the refrigerators with beverages and liquors and two that are beside each other but facing the window and the line of lamppost trying to illuminate the street. they chose the last one.

 

"hey, sungie. do you drink?", minho asked as he stood up.

 

jisung was texting chan about how his furbaby is doing. he may have had fun but the worry still stayed in his mind. "ah, no no. good grief, i just became legal this year. please, just get me bottled milk tea."

 

"oh, so it's minho-hyung for you." minho said teasingly while crossing his arms. jisung looked at him with annoyance to conceal his embarrassment but the color of his cheeks betrayed him. "oh you, will you please stop blushing for once?" minho laughed while cupping jisung's cheeks. of course, that didn't help jisung  _at all._

"stop touching my cheeks, gremlin."

 

"do you want anything else?"

 

"i would say a 200-meter distance between you and i but they don't have it here, i guess."

 

"thank god, then."

 

"damn it. just get me a cheesecake."

 

"okay, bossy rose-colored boy."

 

minho disappeared behind the aisles of racks with different food to ease their clamoring stomachs. jisung took this as a chance to call chan. after a couple of rings, the blonde boy picked up.

 

"chan-hyung. thank god, you finally answered. how's everything?"

 

a sigh of relief was heard from the other line. "jisung! yeah about berry, they said she had an allergic reaction from the food i bought her earlier. we're lucky it's not that serious so they just gave her a few treatments and let us go home. i surely will be more careful from now on. she's currently sleeping beside me"

 

"yes!" jisung accidentally screamed, causing a few heads to turn to him. "sorry."

 

"hey, sungie. what was that for?" someone giggled behind him. jisung didn't have to turn around to know who was that, though. minho placed a bottle of refrigerated milk tea and a cheescake in front of the younger one. "what happened?"

 

"who's that?"

 

"hyung, i'll just tell you tomorrow. get some sleep and give the baby a kiss from me."

 

"fine. get home safely, okay?"

 

"i will. bye, chan-hyung." when chan finally cut the line, only then did jisung realize that minho is looking at him intently while restraining a laugh. "what?"

 

"nothing." minho sat down beside him and crossed his ankles. "wait, actually there's something. i was asking you what happened."

 

"right. you see, i wasn't supposed to be  alone. initially, i have a friend to accompany me for the night but his dog, berry, coughed up blood that he had to bring her to the vet. i'm so happy that she's finally kinda okay now, though." jisung smiled while opening his bottled milk tea. however, something clicked inside minho's mind.

 

"wait, did you just say chan-hyung? which chan are we talking about here?"

 

"uh, bang chan? why? do you know him?"

 

"that aussie, yeah!" minho exclaimed. "we're co-workers. i had a feeling that the friend you're talking about is him when you mentioned berry. there can't be another guy here named chan and has a dog named berry, can there? oh, how much he loves that dog."

 

"hyung, are you serious? wow, such a small world."

 

"yeah, indeed and quite frankly, it's funny." minho finally took a bite from his chicken karaage sandwich. "by the way, please don't tell him i said this but his songs are actually nice although i clown his accent."

 

jisung, who was drinking then, choked on his milk tea. "the- the song..."

 

"god's sake, sungie, please be carefu-"

 

"the songs.. we made those." 

 

when those words left jisung's mouth, minho accidentally squeezed the box of his strawberry milk. "are you serious?"

 

"would i choke if i'm not?"

 

"stingy." minho rolled his eyes. "but oh my god? you- you produce songs? that's amazing."

 

jisung stopped munching on his cheesecake. "guess what? i rap and compose, too." he looked at minho with such pride but when he noticed the other's choice of drink, his eyebrows furrowed. "wait, i thought you were going to get soju or something."

 

cue minho's giggle. "that was just my own way of asking someone's age. honestly, i haven't tried it before but i'm glad it worked. but let's go back to you. that's so cool! where can i listen to your songs?"

 

"hyung, do you have internet?"

 

"yeah."

 

"please hand me your phone." minho unlocked his phone and handed it to jisung. when his wallpaper is finally exposed, he heard jisung coo. "ah hyung, they're so cute! are they yours?"

 

when jisung looked at minho, the latter already has a toothy grin. "yes, yes! they're my babies! here, let me tell you their names." minho excitedly moved closer to jisung to point at his three cats happily eating. "this one is soonie. on this side, it's doongie. the one with the cute blouse my grandmother made is dori. excuse my sudden burst of energy but i really love them. i would actually love to be a vet in the future because i really love animals. wow, i think i said the world "love" a lot of times."

 

jisung found it adorable that the older rambled about him loving animals (and having a soft spot for cats). he actually doesn't mind if he will continue but minho whined at jisung to cut the staring and let him listen to his songs. it was all jisung needed to click on 3racha's soundcloud account. 

for solid 16 minutes, with minho's feet comfortably resting on jisung's thighs, they listened to 3racha songs on shuffle. one earbud is on jisung's left ear while the other is on minho's right ear. every now and then, minho would ask who's singing or rapping in which part and give some comments. jisung couldn't help but smile when the other would mouth a few lines he probably heard from chan before. jisung is aware that chan can't fully concentrate on his work without music so he suspected that he plays music from the speakers of the streetwear shop he works in– the reason why minho is familiar with some 3racha songs.

 

"would you like to be an idol someday?" minho had a few questions in mind.

 

jisung paused the song, which at that time was "small things". "hm, the thought would sometimes cross my mind but i haven't fully considered on acting upon it. my parents aren't even that supportive of what i'm doing"

 

"oh. sungie i'm sorry. i shouldn't have asked."

 

"nah, it's fine." jisung smiled, ready to play the song again. "they'll understand someday that doing this makes me happy. how about you? do you wanna be an idol someday?"

 

"a few people told me to actually audition in at least one agency but i don't think i have the courage to do so."

 

.*•

 

the "3racha listening party", as jisung would like to call it, carried on for another 7 minutes. p.a.c.e. was blaring from each side of jisung's earphones when minho suddenly spoke up. "you know, i would love to make a choreo for this."

 

jisung stopped the song midway and looked at minho with shock evident on his face. "pause, y-you dance? really?"

 

"i don't know if i should be hurt that you acted so surprised." minho laughed while ruffling jisung's hair. "continue the song. i'm enjoying it."

 

"you danced like a dying fish in the moshpit earlier so you can't blame me. also, nah. talk to me about you and dancing." this time, jisung arms are crossed while minho's feet are finally touching the ground again.

 

"if you really wanna know then okay." minho took a sip from his strawberry milk first before talking. "obviously, you already know now that i like dancing. i don't really remember the time i started liking it but i started competing with my dance team locally and internationally when i became a teenager."

 

"internationally? hyung, you must be really a high-caliber dancer! wait, what year were you born?"

 

"ah, i guess if you wanna put it that way then yeah, i may be." minho smiled shyly while looking out the window in front of them. "oh and 1998, 2 years before you."

 

"ah how-" jisung was about to ask how he knew his age but then he remembered the trick minho did on him earlier. "if so, i would be glad if you actually will dance to p.a.c.e. in the future."

 

"noted!"

 

the two continued talking for an unknown duration of time. before they know it, it was already 12:30 am and jisung's mom is already ringing his phone.

 

"h-hyung. let's go now?"

 

.*•

 

minho walked jisung to the bus station. luckily, it's a sunday night so the buses are not that occupied. they waited for a bus in silence, just appreciating each other's company, what they can still have for the time being. when after 8 minutes one arrived, they bid goodbyes.

 

"thank you for the night, sungie." minho smiled while squeezing the younger's hand and hugging him at the same time. "i might not miss your sweaty palms, though."

 

for the last time that night, jisung slapped minho's arm. "let go of me, freak. but yeah, thank you too for not leaving me alone. i surely enjoyed being with you even though you could be a pain in the ass."

 

"so, see you around?"

 

"yeah, see you around."

 

however, minho sensed that he forgot something so before the bus leaves, he yelled.

 

"jisung-ah, i didn't get your number!"

 

"guess, you just have to wait for me tomorrow at your workplace." jisung broke off a knowing smile.

 

minho huffed and nodded. "okay, brat. be safe, alright?"

 

the bus finally started to move. "yeah, be safe, minho-ya!"

 

"minho-what? you bit-"

 

 

.*•

 

that night, with the moon being the witness of their mishaps and chaotic stories and memories, and the number of times their hands touched, their bodies felt warmth from the other (and the "kiss" they've shared), a realization hit them with a bittersweet intensity–

 

if derailed plans lead us somewhere spontaneous yet magnificent, having another dose of good fortune disguised as a bad one isn't so bad after all.

**Author's Note:**

> revisions might be done in the future since this is a word-vomit :( although i would love to revise it already, it's kinda late ._. i'm sorry... if you, by chance, think this is okay tho, please leave a kudos and/or a comment :) criticisms are highly appreciated whether related to grammar (since eng isn't my native language) or my way of writing (because i truly lack a lot of skills) 
> 
> thank you for reading !!!


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